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Glasgow marches with Pride

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, PRIDE! As if our annual day of rage and glitter wasn’t exciting enough, the arrival of hunners of new stickers just about tipped me over the edge…

Since Pride Glasgow is the only demo in the universe which starts on time, we were unusually punctual and managed to catch pretty much the entire demo, from Glasgow Green through town and back again. While the council have been incredibly shoddy when it comes to supporting the event, it should be noted the march route was a million times better and more visible than is afforded most groups.

Of course, some might say that Pride has become something of a bizarre commercial carnival. To which we say, what are you talking about?:

The Nandos bloc AKA the cock bloc.

Oh wait, sorry, wrong pics. All joking aside, there were a massive range of political groups, campaigning organisations, trade unions, dugs and a huge majority of non aligned humans, just out enjoying a rare chance to take to the streets together.

For the first time this year, Free Pride offered a free alternative to the now pay to attend “main event” at Pride. The group aims to counter what they see as the depoliticised and deradicalised nature of Pride, a gripe we’ve regularly expressed ourselves. There was also a Free Pride bloc on the main demo, who were responsible for a few of comedic moments. The most hilarious of which was when people shouting about “the Tories” realised they were located immediately behind said Tories, who were marching with their pals in Scottish Labour, obviously.

TORIES! TORIES! TORIES! THERE! THERE! THERE!

Better Together…?

The Greens, Lib Dems and Nats were also in attendance of course…

…although the political nil points of the day goes to the Socialist Worker’s Party, as usual, who COULDN’T EVEN BE ARSED PRETENDING to make a vaguely relevant placard, so just brought the same “Thatcher and the current PM are rubbish” one they’ve been lugging about since the Major years, only with some rainbow lettering.

An SWP placard and a cock. Coincidence? We think not.

Go home SWP, we’re drunk.

I suspect the march was larger than even the organisers had anticipated and it was a boisterous affair by any standards, the reaction from members of the public was beyond positive, well, mostly…

“The front of the bus they cannae grind in their underwear covered in glitter”

Both the main event at Glasgow Green and the Free Pride event at the Art School (which is also on this evening between 10pm and 3am) seem to be doing a roaring trade – the overblown rumours of “Pride Wars” far away from the reality of what’s already been a great day.

Even a decade ago, it all felt a bit stale, wandering the wet streets while bystanders gawked and expressed their varied feelings in our general direction. Today felt very different – confident, fun, angry, political.

The average age of those in attendance today is enough to completely draw a line under any question of whether Pride still matters. This isn’t history, for yet another generation, the basic struggle for their gender or sexual rights is ongoing – and very much something worth pouring into the streets to defend. Our society is still letting these people down – and thankfully, they know it.

All this talk of pouring reminds me it’s nearly 8 and I’m a whole 1 pint down. So have a few more pictures, enjoy the rest of Pride and look after each other, I’m off for a dance.